Celebrations Gallery to hold annual 'Small Works' exhibit

The entryway to Celebrations Gallery in Pomfret is decorated with repurposed, ornamental tea cups and tea pots, glassware and plates. A pumpkin-shaped mug and Dracula statue tie in with a whimsical Halloween theme that carries over to their Hocus Pocus teas. The food sounds fun: caldron of curried witches brew soup, zombie parts skewers, poison apple scones.

Proprietress Jean Barton delights in the zany creativity behind the festive teas, exhibits and gifts sold at Celebrations. The exhibit, "Small Works: Artful Treasures" is the latest salvo in her mission to get art into the hands of people who want it.

"Art can intimidate people," Barton said. Size, price and interpretation can be off-putting. So six years ago she started the Small Works exhibit. More than 35 artists have created original pieces of art measuring under 200 square inches. Oils, watercolors, acrylics, photographs, and mixed media pieces will be available at prices ranging from $75 to $195.

Celebrations Creativity Director Jackie Mahoney said a wide range of artists responded to the call for submissions. Danielson artist Jacqueline Lucier said part of the appeal of the show was the fun she could have with it. "I like doing the little ones," she said. "There's something about the little canvas, the little brushes, the little pallet that's enjoyable. It also forces you to look at what you want to compose. To make a picture that will sit in a small frame can be tricky."

Pomfret artist Monique Sourinho likes the small canvases too. She'll begin with an idea or a sketch, but then finds the work takes on a completely different form from what she initially imagined. "My intention is to make people happy," she said. Her brightly colored works resemble stained glass creations. Colors leak over the edges of her canvases.

Judy Doyle has submitted pieces for the Small Works exhibit before, but acknowledges the size parameters can be a problem. She paints all year long in a variety of media and sizes. "The challenge can be to frame it under 200 square inches," she said. But she admits that in the last several years she's painted with an eye on affordability.

"There is a certain cache to buying an original," Doyle said. "It's not cookie cutter. It has a character all of its own."

"So many things are mass produced," Sourhino said. "It's good to get a different perspective."

Lucier agreed. Original artwork is food for the soul, she said. "Someone captured a moment in time and you can have it up on your wall," she said.

"It's validation and support for working artists as well. Lucier said the exhibit gives artists a chance to be involved with other artists, to feed off each other. Doyle said the ideas and creations on exhibit blow her away every time she visits. Works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, photography, sculpture, and pen and ink resonate throughout the 10-room Victorian. "They're exposing us to a lot of good art," Doyle said.

The 6th annual "Small Works: Artful Treasures" will run from Nov. 1 to Jan. 4. Celebrations will hold an artist's reception on Nov. 1 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.